Power Rangers’ Writer Admits to Mistake in Casting Black and Yellow Rangers

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If you were a fan of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers back in 1993, as you grew older, you might have found it noteworthy or even troubling that Walter Emanuel Jones, an African American actor, played the Black Ranger and Thuy Trang, a Vietnamese actress, portrayed the Yellow Ranger. Despite the obvious potential for racial stereotyping in these character assignments, the show’s head writer claimed that it wasn’t something they consciously considered at the time.

The Power Rangers franchise was discussed on the Investigation Discovery show Hollywood Demons, and Tony Oliver, the main writer, spoke up about the stereotypical casting of the original Black and Yellow Rangers through Variety. Oliver acknowledged that it was a misstep to cast Jones as Zack Taylor and Trang as Trini Kwan in this manner, stating it wasn’t something they considered at the time of the initial casting.

As a supporter, I’d like to emphasize that when we were initially casting roles for our show, none of us had stereotypes in mind – this is why the Black character became the Black Ranger and the Asian character took on the Yellow Ranger role. However, it wasn’t until my assistant brought it up during a meeting that I realized the potential issue with the casting from an external perspective. In hindsight, we now understand that it was indeed a mistake as the head writer of Power Rangers.

Walter Emanuel Jones & Thuy Trang Were Replaced As the Black And Yellow Rangers Midway Through Season Two

In the midst of the second season, both Jones and Austin St. John, who had been embroiled in payment disagreements, decided to leave the show. Interestingly, Karan Ashley, an African American actress, stepped into Trang’s role as Yellow Ranger Aisha Campbell, while Johnny Yong Bosch, of mixed Korean, Irish, and German heritage, took over Jones’ position as the Black Ranger Adam Park. Whether this change was a deliberate nod to the original casting of Jones and Trang is uncertain, as the creators have not provided any insight into the matter.

In the episode of “Hollywood Demons”, old footage from behind-the-scenes is played, featuring Walter Jones who candidly tells the camera, “I’m Walter Jones, I play Zack. I’m African American and I play the Black Ranger – isn’t that a coincidence?” Despite this statement, Jones has countered Oliver’s interpretation of his casting, stating that he never found it problematic and was proud to be among the first black heroes on weekend television.

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2025-04-11 20:01